Two Hotels in One Opens at Familiar Haverhill Location Near Westgate

(Additional photograph below.)

It was a long time in coming, but city and state officials and business leaders say the opening of Haverhill’s newest hotels was worth the wait.

After a four-year absence, a new combination hotel formally opened Monday morning adjacent to Westgate Market Place at Lowell Avenue and Interstate 495. Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Haverhill and TownePlace Suites by Marriott Haverhill replace the former Best Western that closed four years ago. Mayor Melinda E. Barrett was one of the officials on hand for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

“This represents a huge investment and we appreciate that investment. I know, as a city, we have great departments that you worked with to get this done. While it took a little longer than maybe you had hoped or we had hoped, it obviously shows in how beautiful a space this is,” she said.

The mayor received chuckles from the few with deep memories as she recalled the orange roofs that once adorned the site. “I go back to the HoJo days. So, this is a marked improvement,” she said.

The site was originally developed during the mid-1960s as I-495 was completed in Haverhill with a Howard Johnson’s motel and restaurant—under separate orange roofs.

Giri Hotels owner Ash Sangani noted former Best Western General Manager Michell Bechard, whose association with the property goes back 18 years, is returning after working at the company’s Concord, N.H., property the last few years.

Bechard told WHAV the Fairfield Inn & Suites portion offers 38 rooms, while the 73-room TownePlace Suites is designed for longer-term business stays. Sangani described a typical scenario.

“They would stay here four nights, five nights Those people love to have a suite product where we have a light kitchen in there,” he said.

Barrett, state Rep. Andy X. Vargas and the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce presented citations. They were joined by representatives of Sens. Barry R. Finegold and Pavel M. Payano and Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s offices and city Inspectional Services Director Richard MacDonald, Building Commissioner Thomas K. Bridgewater and Community Development Division Director Andrew K. Herlihy.